Han Solo (Death Star Escape) - POTJ - Basic

Name: Han Solo (Death Star Escape)Collection: Power Of The JediNumber: N/ASource: A New HopeAvailability: September 2001License: Hasbro

Han Solo's reputation as a notorious smuggler and pirate also makes him a target for bounty hunters. After his ship is impounded by the Empire, Han helps Obi-Wan and Luke rescue Princess Leia from the Death Star. A courageous and daring pilot, Solo eventually realizes his personal stake in the Rebels' fight for freedom.

Han Solo technically only wore one outfit in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. We say that acknowledging that he wore a different shirt at the ceremony at the end of the film, but for all intents and purposes he had one look for the duration of Episode IV. So if you’re Hasbro, how do you keep this character fresh and exciting in the basic figure line? Actually, it’s easier than one might think. Take for instance Han Solo (Death Star Escape) from the Power Of The Jedi line. It’s the basic Han Solo figure that we’re more than familiar with but now he sports a Stormtrooper belt to accurately recreate this scene from A New Hope. Add a dynamic action pose to this action figure and you have a truly unique interpretation of this character available for the very first time in the basic figure line. Not only does this figure present a slightly new take on Han Solo, it updates the character very well. For all intents and purposes, it really looks like the character on a mission to flee the herding Stormtroopers on the Death Star with the ultimate goal of escape. Let’s look at why you might want to add this figure to your collection, because we have found that it is much better than we thought originally.

We have never really been that keen on action figures permanently posed in an action state. That may sound ironic, but we have always felt that super-articulation should be the added features to give an action figure its required action. But Han Solo (Death Star Escape) has been executed quite nicely and it ranks somewhere between good and excellent on our rating system. Han Solo (Death Star Escape) comes with eight points of articulation. Two swivel biceps have been added to the standard six points of articulation. Hasbro seems to have also paid careful attention to his coloring as well. He is wearing a cream colored shirt and his pants appear to be the correct shade of blue, complete with red blood stripe. Some extra feature include a separately sculpted black vest because it gives this action figure a textured and layered approached that just cannot be achieved when apparel is physically part of the sculpt. Han Solo also is adorning a Stormtrooper belt and comes with an E-11 blaster to complete the ensemble. It’s hard to conclusively assert if his scale is proper. Any action figure in a sprinting pose and slouched over is not something that can be quantitatively judged.

The expression on Han Solo’s face is one of grit and determination. It’s our opinion that this action figure has directly been inspired by the scene in Episode IV when Han Solo and Chewbacca chase a few Stormtroopers only to be ambushed by a squadron of them in the hangar (to a more dramatic degree in the Special Edition than the theatrical version). Because of the swivel biceps, you do get a better range of motion with this action figure than say those that have only been engineered with the standard allotment, but overall we have to say that this action figure meets our expectations. Yes, it is extremely scene specific and will only fit in select diorama scenes, but with what Hasbro has presented we have to say we like what we see here. We are also thankful that Hasbro has decided to present collectors with a “new” take on Han Solo instead of rehashing the same old thing over and over again. What’s more, although his arms will remain in the relatively same position, you can have him point the blaster high in the air or have it at the ready to blast a threatening Stormtrooper. These are all the pieces you need for an action figure to be effective in your collection.